Potouridis plots Greece recovery

With the "shock" of a first day defeat to the Republic of Ireland out of their system, Greece captain Giannis Potouridis called on his team-mates to put things right against hosts Romania.

In tough conditions on Wednesday the 2007 UEFA European Under-19 Championsip runners-up went down 2-1 to Ireland meaning their tournament started on the back foot. The time that has passed since then, though, has gone a long way to healing those wounds and according to Potouridis, Greece are now "ready to get back to our best".

"The weather was extreme during that match but I have to say it didn't affect us that badly," he said. "In fact, it would be an excuse to talk about the conditions on the night and we are not ones for making excuses. We lost because of our mistakes, because of our lack of concentration which was more than obvious if you saw how we conceded the goals. OK, in the second half we came out strongly and made some chances to score but it seemed impossible that the ball would go in for us."

At 19, the Olympiacos FC defender is still gaining experience as he looks to progress through the international ranks yet, as he told UEFA.com, he still assumes his role as captain in Bucharest with great responsibility. "Like every leader, I am supposed to set the example for everyone," he said. "With the captaincy you must seek to remain concentrated and calm at all times and to offer help in every possible way, both on and off the pitch.  I am seriously committed to the role."

Speaking with a maturity that belies his age, Potouridis – who made seven Greek Super League appearances last term – reflected on the hard work it has taken to get him to where he is today and the fond memories of how it all began as a five-year-old.  "I remember my father being a security guard at the [Olympiacos] ground; all through my childhood I would be out on the pitch," he said. "I became a member of Olympiacos when I was five so when I made my debut at the Karaiskakis Stadium in a friendly against AS Roma it was the realisation of a lifetime's ambition."

Potouridis's next goal is to lead his team into the semi-finals of the tenth U19 finals, starting with a victory against the hosts on Saturday. "It will be hard because they will also want to win [having lost their first match]," he admitted. "The main thing is not to make the same mistakes we did against Ireland. We know that if we can avoid doing that then things will turn out well."